Oh Merlin, Did I Get The Wrong Colour Cap?
by maraudersmaps
Summary: Lily has an announcement to make. I felt like writing something fluffy, so here it is.


Lily had been fretting all day on how exactly she'd break the news to James. It had to be perfect… she had to deliver it in such a way that his eyes would light up, his body would freeze and Prongs would be rendered speechless, something that was always a rarity with him. Of course, those things would happen anyway; but Lily wanted it to be picture perfect. A movie moment. Something she could remember as being fairytale-esque - a bright glimmer of sunshine in these dark days, where anyone could be dragged out of their homes and tortured for sport, where anyone could be killed on the spot not from their character or ideals, but from the classification of their blood.

Forcing James to leave the house for a long period of time was impossible. Not only was it incredibly dangerous out there, where attacks were rife, but James would simply refuse to leave his wife unprotected in their home, where she was already a huge target, given the status of her birth _and _the fact that she and James had defied Voldemort three times already.

Of course, they both knew that Lily was more skilled than James in certain aspects of magic, whilst he excelled in others - they could both cope fine on their own, and in his heart, James knew that Lily would be able to take care of herself for at least a short amount of time, but there was just something in the idea of leaving her alone that just didn't settle right with him - it was mainly just being insanely overprotective of her. But she wasn't innocent either, because she was exactly the same way - James had lost count of the number of times she'd scolded him for merely suggesting that he venture out alone. They had both faced Voldemort time and time again, and each time they had both displayed their excellent magical ability, but they just didn't want to take the risk of what _might _happen. It was fine if they were with each other, or other members of the Order, or travelling through a secure route approved by Dumbledore himself, but going out alone was just dodgy, especially as every member of the Order maimed or killed was a _huge _loss to their cause.

James was constantly bombarded by images of Death Eaters itching to break down their door and blast jets of green light towards them. Every time he pictured those masked, cloaked figures, he'd find Lily, wherever she was in the house, and silently wrap his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. She'd usually be startled, her hand half-jumping to her wand, before she registered what was actually going on, and the two would simply stand, sit or lie there, whatever the circumstance may be, and wordlessly comfort each other, one warm body touching another, feeling eternally grateful that nothing had happened to the other yet.

Lily had cleverly thought of a ruse, though - she'd Vanished all the milk from their fridge and hidden the empty cartons, before asking James to go and fetch some from the nearby corner shop. Hesitant at first, he'd replied with his usual retort: "Can't we just summon-?"

"No, James. That's stealing. And besides, it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon and surprisingly sunny for October - nothing would happen to you even if you _weren't _wearing the Cloak. Now go. I'm craving tea."

She wasn't _really _craving tea - in fact, she thought it was way too early in to be craving anything, but it was a good idea. James had worriedly made her recite every single possible dangerous situation she could find herself in during his two-minute absence, and what to do in each case, before reluctantly pulling on the Cloak and leaving through the front door. A _crack _told Lily that he'd Apparated to the corner shop, and she immediately got to work. Streamers started flowing from her wand, levitating themselves around the room into tasteful places, where they carefully coiled and stretched themselves; next, a fine glitter that clung to the air, making everything seem as if they were in a fairy's lair; then, up roared the fire, crackling in a homely manner, followed by a bottle of The Three Broomsticks' finest mead pouring itself into two glasses.

Lily sighed. It was… okay. But just… not right.

She changed the colour of the streamers from red and gold to red and green. Oh, that didn't look right. Back to red and gold. Gryffindor colours. He liked red and gold…

Maybe mead was the wrong choice. With a wave of her wand, she switched it for Butterbeer. Childish? Back to mead it was.

She sliced her wand thoughtfully through the air, weaving it with her fingers as she surveyed the room. It was lovely, it was pretty, it was positively perfect.

The word stayed in her head.

Perfect.

_Perfect_.

She grinned to herself, suddenly realising that she had been an idiot all along. Almost laughing to herself (God, how mad would she look?), she looked at the room from a different perspective.

What _was _this?

This was ridiculous! Streamers? The glitter? The fire? The mead?

"Lily, you dope." She murmured. "How could you be so _silly_?"

Since when did Lily and James do fancy? Since when were they picture perfect, a movie moment? Since when did they fuss and bother over tiny little things like glitter in the air or streamers? Since when did either of them really _care _about such trivial things when there were huger matters on their mind?

She started to remove all the decorations, whisking away the glitter and the streamers and the entire atmosphere of the stereotypical breaking of good news. Because Lily and James weren't stereotypical. They weren't perfect, either. They were simply… Lily and James.

And something huge like this would be carried out in the same way that they did everything. Why dress up the situation garishly? They'd never done anything like that, and this situation deserved better. Much better.

Lily had removed the last of the streamers and alcohol when she heard the _crack _outside her doorstep. Entering, James ripped the Invisibility Cloak off himself, carrying a four-pint carton of milk.

"James." Lily spun around, facing him with a new, excited, blazing spark in her bright green eyes.

"What?" James blinked at her, before looking back down at the milk. "Oh, Merlin, did I get the wrong colour cap? _Again? _Jeez, Evans, there's nothing wrong with full fat anyway, it's not like you'll automatically be the same size as Sirius' mum-"

"James." Lily interrupted, a smirk on her face. "I'm-"

"You're talking funny…" James noted, blinking at her again with a slight frown - in a millisecond, he had gasped, dropped the milk and drawn his wand.

"Where was our first kiss?"

James never made things easy. Sighing with exasperation, Lily answered.

"Quidditch pitch, when you beat the record for the quickest victory at Hogwarts."

"That was a generic question anyway. Any Imperius could guess that. What did we do on the first Hogsmeade trip in seventh year?"

"Went to Honeyduke's and you dropped a tub of Fizzing Whizbees on Peter's head."

James smiled at the memory and tucked his wand away.

"Very good, Evans."

"James, I-"

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" He glared at her harshly, his smile suddenly replaced by a stony expression. "I could be _anyone_!"

"For _Merlin's _sake." Lily hissed under her breath, staring daggers at James. Why did he have to be exasperating even now?! "What did I do the first time I entered the Head Students Office?"

"Started arranging the books in alphabetical order."

"Very good, Potter. Now-"

James then abruptly realised that the milk he had dropped was now spilling all over the floor, drenching the soles on his shoes.

"Oh, _man_, these shoes are new!" He whined, Vanishing the milk. "Sorry, Lily, I'll go out and get anoth-"

"_James, shut up._" She interrupted bluntly, fed up of having him constantly ruining her surprise.

"Huh? Why? Normally you'd go mental if I-"

"I'm pregnant."

James continued speaking for a split second before the information registered. And then he gaped at her, completely still, words forming in his throat and then issuing out into the air with a gurgle…

Lily stood there, hands on hips, waiting for his momentary freeze to pass with a grin on her face.

After a few seconds of simple, plain, nothing, James exploded.

"You're _pregnant?_ Oh my… Merlin… _pregnant_… this is… Lily, this is _amazing_." Tears were already spilling from his eyes as he ran to her and pulled her into a close embrace, already being careful not to squash her abdomen. He spoke into her hair, his words reaching her ears in a broken manner from the sheer happiness that was overwhelming him.

"Lily, I… I love you so much. So much. And our baby… I can't believe I'm going to be a _Dad. _I love you. I truly love you, Evans."

Lily was struggling not to burst into tears herself at his behaviour - wiping a tear away from her cheek and laughing in pure delight, she murmured back into his ear, the combination of his warmth seeping over her and the fact that their own little baby was now growing within her filling her with a feeling of pure joy.

"I love you too, Potter. Don't you ever forget that."

And they seemed to stay in that moment forever.


End file.
